1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to file sharing systems, and particularly relates to a file sharing system which uses file-identification information to control files based on WWW (world wide web).
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide availability of computer networks in recent years has prompted a large number of businesses to introduce a built-in-OS-type file sharing system or a client-server-type file sharing system. The client-server-type file sharing system allows communication to be conducted between programs even when programs such as server-application programs and client-application programs are created independently from each other.
Against this background, the WWW has made significant progress in terms of the number of users because of its advantages such as superior operability and harmonized view (form of display). The WWW is a distributed data system, and is suitable for handling characters, audio information, image information, etc., based on HTML (hyper text markup language). In the WWW, pieces of information contributed by different computers can be connected with each other via a direct hyper link, so that users can trace information among inter-linked pieces of information even when these pieces of information are stored in different computers. The WWW use HTTP as a communication protocol between a server system and client systems. In such a configuration as described above, there is a demand for a file sharing system based on the WWW.
FIG. 1 is an illustrative drawing of a schematic configuration of a related-art system.
The system of FIG. 1 includes a server system 1 and client systems 2 connected to the server system 1 via a network 3. The network 3 is a LAN (local area network), a WAN (wide area network), or the like. The server system 1 provides services for the client systems 2 via the network 3. The client systems 2 are provided with an aim of integrating workstations or the like in a network, so that the server system 1 and the client systems 2 play their respective part in a cooperative manner to handle business processing, which used can be carried out by a mainframe-centered system.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of the related art system.
In FIG. 2, the same elements as those of FIG. 1 are referred to by the same numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 2, the network 3 is omitted.
The server system 1 includes a storage 11 for storing files, a WWW server 12 for reading files from the storage 11 and sending the files to the client system 2, and a FTP server 13 for receiving information from the client system 2 and storing the information in the storage 11. Here, the FTP (file transfer protocol) is a protocol used for a file exchange between host machines on a TCP/IP-based network.
The client system 2 includes a storage 21, a WWW browser 22, a application unit 23, and a FTP client 24. The WWW browser 22 receives files from the WWW server 12. The storage 21 stores the files received by the WWW browser 22. The application unit 23 reads files stored in the storage 21, and executes an application to edit the files. The FTP client 24 reads updated files from the storage 21, and sends the updated files to the server system 1.
In the system described above, when the client system 2 sends a request for file transfer to the server system 1, the WWW server 12 reads a pertinent file from the storage 11, and sends the file to the client system 2. In the client system 2, the WWW browser 22 receives the file, and stores it in the storage 21.
The application unit 23 reads the file from the storage 21, and, then, executes an application to edit the file. The edited (updated) file is stored in the storage 21 again. The FTP client 24 reads the updated file from the storage 21, and transfers the file to the server system 1. The FTP server 13 receives the updated file before storing the file in the storage 11.
In the WWW system described above, a file in the WWW server 12 can be transferred to the client system 2 when the WWW browser 22 of the client system 2 indicates the file by using URL (uniform resource locator, e.g., xe2x80x9cabcdef.co.jp/Document /word.docxe2x80x9d), and, then, an application corresponding to the file is used for editing the file and storing the file in the storage 21.
However, no specific function is provided to send back the edited file to the WWW server 12 by using HTML (a program language for displaying the WWW browser), Java language, or the like in the WWW browser 22. Since such a specific function is not provided, an OS-built-in function or an application having an FTP function is used as an alternative to send the file from the client system 2 executing the WWW browser 22 to the server system 1 executing the WWW server 12.
As described above, the related-art system has a drawback in that file transfers on one way and on the way back between the server system 1 and the client system 2 are carried out by different transfer functions when a site of the WWW browser 22 needs to share a file with a site of the WWW server 12. Because of this drawback, while operating the client system, a user needs to keep a mental note of a location in the client system where the file received from the WWW server 12 is located, a name of the file, and, in some cases, a name of the file on the side of the server system.
Accordingly, there is a need for a user-friendly file sharing system which offers harmonized operation and harmonized display based on the WWW browser, and allows a client system to store a file in a server after receiving the file from the server without a user needing to keep a mental note of a client-side name, a client-side location, and a server-side name of the file.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a file sharing system which can satisfy the need described above.
It is another and more specific object of the present invention to provide a user-friendly file sharing system which offers harmonized operation and harmonized display based on the WWW browser, and allows a client system to store a file in a server after receiving the file from the server without a user needing to keep a mental note about a client-side name, a client-side location, and a server-side name of the file.
In order to achieve the above objects according to the present invention, a file sharing system, implemented on a system having a server system and a plurality of client systems connected to said server system via a network, includes a WWW server provided in said server system, a first storage unit provided in said server system and storing files, a WWW-server-function extension unit provided in said server system and operating in association with said WWW server to control said files based on file identifiers. The file sharing system further includes a WWW browser provided in a client system which is one of said client systems and receiving one of said files and a corresponding file identifier from said server device, a second storage unit provided in said client system and storing said one of said files, a WWW-browser-function extension unit provided in said client system and operating in association with said WWW browser to activate an application to update said one of said files and to send an updated file and said corresponding file identifier to said server system.
In the file sharing system described above, when a user operates the WWW browser of the client system to bring a file from the server system to the client system, WWW-browser-function extension unit activates a relevant application to edit the file, and, upon a completion of the file editing, transfers the updated file to the server system. Further, since the file and the updated file are transferred along with the corresponding file identifier, the corresponding file identifier is shared by both the server system and the client system, providing a means of file identification. In this configuration, therefore, the user can update the file without keeping a mental note of a file name and a file location.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.